To me there’s something quite meditative about popping these edamame (soybeans) out of their shells.

If for some reason you need a bit of extra focus in your day, feel free to buy packs of frozen pods and pluck out the required beans one by one. For those who are doing just fine, many Asian supermarkets will sell frozen packs of edamame already shelled, like peas. In this salad they’re combined with avocado, cucumber, leaves, lime and sesame, in what is essentially a zen take on prawn cocktail.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

200 g shelled edamame beans
2 handfuls of green leaves (a mix of baby spinach, watercress and rocket is nice)
12 cm cucumber, shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
200 g peeled, cooked prawns (heads and digestive tracts removed)
1 lime (grated zest and juice of one half, and the other half cut into wedges)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp neutral-tasting oil
1/2 avocado, sliced
11/2 tsp black sesame seeds (or toasted white sesame seeds)

METHOD
1 Combine the edamame beans, green leaves, shaved cucumber and prawns. Add the lime zest.
2 Combine the lime juice with the oils and whisk to combine. Toss the dressing over the salad, then top with the avocado pieces and sesame seeds. Serve with the extra wedges of lime.

Cook’s note I find it’s best to gently place the avocado on the plate just before serving, to prevent it turning into unsightly mulch when you dress the salad. If you can’t find edamame, feel free to substitute green peas, or broad beans.

Images and recipe extracted from Cut the Carbs! by
Tori Haschka published by Quadrille $39.95